This invention relates to floor mops and more particularly to mops having sponge-type mopping surfaces. More particularly, it relates to wringer systems, means or mechanisms and methods for cleanly wringing out the sponge, and to provide other advantages. A flip-up-wringer sponge mop is provided.
The invention provides a wringer system in which the expelling of dirty water from the mop is efficient and effective in minimizing the unwanted recycling of the water back into the sponge, and also permits operation of the mop under low furniture.
There are a substantial number of expedients disclosed in the patent literature. Several of these, considered most pertinent and representative are listed on a 37 CFR 1.97 Information Disclosure Statement, together with copies thereof. These are Specht U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,727; Kieson U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,248; Ancier U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,690; and Klotz U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,885.
A pertinent patent is Specht, U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,727. It has a flat sponge head. It has a wringing roller that is normally positioned at a long edge of the mop head and is raised out of the way during the mopping operation. The roller is actuated by the user to run across the mop head and wring out the water. A significant difference is that Specht""s mop head does not pivot or flip up. In the present invention, by flipping up, a straight pull back on the lever can run the roller. In Specht""s case, because there is a fixed angle between the mop head and the handle, a cranking mechanism or lever is needed. Specht""s system is more cumbersome to operate and more expensive to build. Also, it does not have the advantage of having a pivot so that the mop can get under low furniture and the like.
The following patents are pertinent only in that they do involve sponge heads and rollers. The Klotz patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,885 provides a system for running a roller directly over the surface of a mop head. The mop head is curved rather than flat, and Klotz""s operating system is clumsy to operate.
The patents to Ancier U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,690 and Kieson U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,248 are of less pertinence. They do show a direct wringing action of rollers against mop heads. However, they both have the concept of squeezing the mop head from its edges, so that it is squeezed together against itself. This is different from the more common folding-squeezing types of mop heads it is not as efficient in its wringing operation as the present invention. There are many other patents in the field, but are believed to be of only cumulative interest.
An object of this invention is to provide a flip-up-wringer sponge mop.
It is another object of this invention to provide a wringer system in which the expelling of dirty water from the mop is efficient and effective in minimizing the unwanted recycling of the water back into the sponge.
The mop has a mop head comprising a generally rectangular, generally planar mop sponge backed by a head plate. It has roller means to move against the sponge and squeeze out water. It has means to allow the handle to pivot with respect to the head so that the mop head can flip back over the handle or the handle can have its angle to the head reduced so as to permit the mop head to reach under low furniture and the like.
The mop has a full width squeezing roller bearing against the mopping surface distal from the back plate. It has roller guides, which are really wheels, running on the back plate.
A reason why the upper guides are necessary (in addition to providing stability in spacing for the system), is that as the rollers are pulled to the end of their wringing operation, the upper guides run up a ramp or hump and in doing so they raise the wringing roller away from the mopping surface. Thus, the wringer is out of the way when actual mopping takes place.
In order to start the wringing action, the mop head has to be flipped completely over so that when the operator pulls back on the wringing handle, the wringing roller moves upward. That is, it moves from its normal position which is at the rear of the mop head, to the front of the mop head. During the wringing action, the front of the mop head is nearest the operator.
An advantage of the present invention is that by its having a high degree of hinged mobility between the handle and the mop head, the handle can be lowered close to the floor so that the mop head can get under low furniture.
Another advantage of the present invention is that whereas prior art devices tend to squeeze dirty water out of the mop by pressing sections of the mopping material together, thus entrapping the dirt into the mopping material, the present invention flushes away the dirt.
Another advantage of the present invention is that depending on how far back the operator pulls, the amount of water wrung out of the pad is graduated. Thus, the mop can be returned to use after wringing in the desired degree of wetness.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the inherent structure of the wringing system keeps the wringing roller out of the way during the mopping operation.
Other advantages will appear in the detailed description.